PART II - What is the transformation in understanding that you would like to see in your students and teaching (300 words)
Today we see that students are so involved with technology, they’re so savvy and facile, but very often the classroom becomes a little dead when their teacher is out for the day compared to what they are typically used to. This transformation will be new to all involved, the teachers, students, parents and myself as the building administrator. It will be exciting and in reality the right thing to do by our students and their learning. I'd like to take those "sub-filled" hours and turn them into something more powerful and useful as far as learning is concerned. With the support and collaboration of the classroom teacher I'd like to offer a cyber-hour for students during class periods that a substitute is required. We would begin with baby-steps and work with our Language Art teachers, who have release days so that they can access their students in reading. These days are pre-planned so that we can coordinate which lessons will be used. We would forego paying for substitutes, reallocating those monies toward technology and other need resources. The students would know to report to the cyber-classroom on their scheduled day. This would be planned in collaboration by me and the Language Arts teacher and the students would have an idea of what they would be doing that day. Attendance would be taken and then send them off on a "online" learning journey. One that incorporates collaboration, investigation, creation of a product within that hour.
At the end of the day, I am looking for a way to have students be more interactive, more in control of their learning, where everyone has access to resources that we have available for them to use. Creating a classroom with banks of wired and wireless computers, ceiling-mounted projectors, interactive whiteboards, and mobile tech-enabled work carts for students, all linked to allow for dynamic, multimedia presentations that inspire learning. This space will provide individual workstations and group tables to foster hands-on and collaborative projects.
Today we see that students are so involved with technology, they’re so savvy and facile, but very often the classroom becomes a little dead when their teacher is out for the day compared to what they are typically used to. This transformation will be new to all involved, the teachers, students, parents and myself as the building administrator. It will be exciting and in reality the right thing to do by our students and their learning. I'd like to take those "sub-filled" hours and turn them into something more powerful and useful as far as learning is concerned. With the support and collaboration of the classroom teacher I'd like to offer a cyber-hour for students during class periods that a substitute is required. We would begin with baby-steps and work with our Language Art teachers, who have release days so that they can access their students in reading. These days are pre-planned so that we can coordinate which lessons will be used. We would forego paying for substitutes, reallocating those monies toward technology and other need resources. The students would know to report to the cyber-classroom on their scheduled day. This would be planned in collaboration by me and the Language Arts teacher and the students would have an idea of what they would be doing that day. Attendance would be taken and then send them off on a "online" learning journey. One that incorporates collaboration, investigation, creation of a product within that hour.
At the end of the day, I am looking for a way to have students be more interactive, more in control of their learning, where everyone has access to resources that we have available for them to use. Creating a classroom with banks of wired and wireless computers, ceiling-mounted projectors, interactive whiteboards, and mobile tech-enabled work carts for students, all linked to allow for dynamic, multimedia presentations that inspire learning. This space will provide individual workstations and group tables to foster hands-on and collaborative projects.